News

Wind, Rain Pummel Northwest For Second Day

Flood waters surround a farm at Old Highway 47 and Bates Road, just north of Gaston, Ore.

Ashley Hoodenpyl / Flash Alerts

Residents in Washington and Oregon braced for more of the same Tuesday after a fierce storm that swamped streets, toppled trees and large trucks and cut power to nearly 50,000 residents.

At least one death is blamed on the weather.

Flood warnings have been issued for a handful of western Washington rivers, with moderate flooding expected today in the Centralia area. Residents there were told where to find sandbags and were directed to move any endangered livestock to higher ground.

Wind gusts hit 101 mph atop the Astoria-Megler bridge across the Columbia River Monday. A commercial truck crossing that bridge tipped over, causing a major traffic headache. The strong winds prevented crews from removing the truck for hours. Other strong gusts on the coast included 98 mph at Yaquina Head, 85 mph at Lincoln City and 80 mph at Newport.

Monday’s rain and wind are being blamed for the death of a Seattle elk hunter in Tillamook County and a serious injury to a Portland police officer. The turbulent weather also stranded a woman at a flooded campsite in Clackamas County and tore off the roof a restaurant in Newport.

The Oregon coast and the Portland area are not the only places being hit with strong winds. KTVZ-TV in Bend reports that wind gusts of up to 60 mph downed trees, branches and power lines in Central Oregon. The station reports that two trees were topped on the Bend campus of Central Oregon Community College, one near Grandview Hall and another behind Pioneer Hall.

Puget Sound Energy reported 24,000 electricity outages while the storm knocked out electricity to as many as 24,000 Pacific Power customers in Oregon.

BNSF Railways imposed a 48-hour moratorium on passenger and commuter trains travel between Everett and Seattle.